Well-boring apparatus



(No Model.)

Patented Peb. 18,1890,

WITNESSES g uwm/m was! A I By 650 ATTORNEY N. PETERS. PhMmLMogupher.Wuhington u c LAlVRENCE V. ELDER, OF NEYV ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

WELL-BORING APPARATUS.

SPEGIFIATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 421,486, dated February18, 1890.

Application filed April Z, 1889. Serial No. 305,647- (No model.)

To aZZ whom it 12mg concern.- Be it known that I, LAWRENCE V. ELDER, ofNew Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Tell-Boring Apparatus, of whichthe following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to that class of apparatus employed in'sinkingwells by abrading the earth by means of a stream of water injected intothe well-shaft or boring under pressure, the invention having specialreference to the means employed for establishing temporary communicationbetween the well pipe or tubing and the pumpsto maintain anuninterrupted flow of the water to the well-shaft while adding a newsect-ion to the tubing. 7

The object of the invention is to so improve such temporary connectingdevices as to en- I able the sections to be added more expeditiouslythan heretofore, and also to simplify and cheapen the temporary couplingdevices.

The invention consists in providing the well-pipe with a temporarycoupling device for the successive sections longitudinally movable onthe'pipe from one section to the other without the necessity of removingthe said coupler.

The invention consists, also, in the novel construction and arrangementof parts, as hereinafter particularly described, and pointed out in theclaims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is an elevation of coupling devices embodying my invention,showing the same in connection with the upper end of the wellpipe and anadditional section about to be added. Fig. 2 is a similar viewillustrating a slightlyanodified form of the invention, and Figs. 3 and4 are plan views of different forms of packing-glands Referring to theparts, A represents the upper end of a well pipe or tubing, and A thelower end of a section about to be added.

The temporary coupling pipe or sleeve 0 is formed with an inductionopening or branch 0 intermediate its ends, the sleeve and its branch (3forming essentially a T. Above or adjacent to its induction-pipe O thecoupling-pipe O is provided with a valve-chamber D, in connection withwhich is arranged a suitable gate-valve for closing the bore of saidcoupling-pipe. This valve in the eonstruction shown in Fig. 1 is of theordinary sliding form, operated by turning the valvestem I) thereof byits hand-wheel D. In the form shown in Fig. 2 the valve is of the hingedor flap variety, and is operated by the crank-handle D the open andclosed position of the valve being indicated by dotted lines.

Any suitable manner of forming a watertight joint between thecoupling-pipe and the well-tubing sections may be followed in practice;but I greatly prefer to employ a gland, as shown. In Figs. 1 and 3 isshown a gland consisting of a split nut E, the external threads 6 ofwhich take into corresponding internal threads formed on the ends a ofthe coupling-pipe O, which gland forms, in con.- nection with a suitablefibrous or other packing material, when the latter is also desired, thedesired water-tight joint. In the form shown in Figs. 2 and 4 the glandE is not threaded, but is formed in the flange thereof with bolt-holes6', through which bolts E pass, the bolts engaging or being formed uponlugs c on couplingpipe 0. By tightening the nuts E of the bolts thegland may be forced home to form the water-tight joint, fibrous or likepacking being also employed, if desired. In either case I prefer atwo-part or split gland, whereby it may be quickly removed in shiftingthe coupling pipe.

In practice, before starting the pump or other source of water-supply,the couplingpipe is placed on the upper end of the well-- tubing, withits upper end projecting above the latter, and the joint of the saidlower end of the eouplingpipe, with the well-tubing, is made water tightby means of a gland E or otherwise. The stream of water may now bedirected into the tubing either through the lateral induction-opening Oof the coupling pipe or directly through the upper end of the lastsection of tubing, preferably the lat ter. When it is desired to add anadditional section, as A, to the well-tubing A,the stream of water isdirected through the side induc tion-opening C, if not already flowingtherethrough, the valve D being now closed to effect a closure of theupper end or portion of the tubing A. The lower end of the new section Ais entered through the upper end of the coupling-pipe, if desired, asfar as the Valve therein, and a water-tight joint is made between thesaid new section and the coupling by the upper gland or other packing,and the new section connected by its upper end with the pump. The wateris now directed through the new section and cut 0E from the inductionopening C, the-valve in the coupling-pipe having been opened, and thesaid new section is moved downward and turned until it makes a directconnection with the upper end of the preceding section, whereupon theglands of the coupling-pipe are removed and the latter shiftedlongitudinally along the new section to the upper endthereof in positionto be quickly utilized in adding another section.

The permanent joint of the several pipesections may be efiected bycausing the lower end a of the new section to enter and engage theenlarged upper end a of the preceding section, the said opposing endsbeing formed, of course, respectively, with external and internalthreads. The enlarged internally-threaded end a of one section may, itis evident, consist of a separate coupling piece or ring, if desired.The coupling-pipe being movable along the tubing from one section to theother, it is not necessary to divide the said coupling-pipelongitudinally into two half-sections, as has been previously done; butit may be cheaply produced, as shown, in one piecethat is, of unbrokenperipheral continuity.

By means of this invention it will be seen that the connection of eachsucceeding section may be effected with great dispatch, and

the parts of the coupling devices and the steps of efiecting thecoupling being few and simple even an unskilled person may be relied onto attend to the work.

The means of supporting the tubing may be of the ordinary form, as alsothe pumps and general connections.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In well-sinking apparatus of the char acter described, the well pipeor tubing having its coupling attachments that temporarily unite thesuccessive sections movable on and along the tubing from one section tothe other, substantially as described.

2. In well-sinking apparatus of the character described, a means ofestablishing temporary connection between a new section of tubing andthe next preceding one, consisting of avalved pipe having aninductionopening intermediate its ends and movable longitudinally on thetubing from one section 'to the other, substantially as described.

3. In a well-sinking apparatus of the character described, thecombination, with the.

well-tubing, of a meansfor establishing temporary connection between anew section of tubing and the preceding one, comprising a sleeve orpipemovable along the tubing from one section to the other and provided withan induction-opening intermediate its ends, a gate-valve in said sleevefor closing thebore thereof, and packingglands for forming a tight jointbetween the said sleeve and tubing, substantially as described.

4.. The herein-described temporary coupling for the purpose specified,consisting of an unsplit' sleeve having a side inductionopening andprovided with a valve for closing the bore of the sleeve, the said borebeing otherwise unobstructed to enable it to be passed along thepipe-sections, substantially as described.

LAWRENCE V. ELDER.

Witnesses OHAs. H. PHILIPPI, E. PESOUD.

